Selangor's Shahrul Nazeem Zulpakar (left) battles for the ball against Kedah's Sony Norde (right) during the Malaysia Super League match at the MBPJ Stadium in Petaling Jaya, May 18, 2024. — GLENN GUAN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Team captain Sony Norde (pic) has made an early assessment about Kedah – they need better finishing in a game in Super League.
On Sunday, they suffered a 0-1 defeat to Selangor at the Petaling Jaya Stadium after enjoying a 1-0 win against Police in their opening league game on May 11.
The side coached by Nafuzi Zain had better possession against the Red Giants but were not clinical enough upfront.
Even striker Syafiq Ahmad, who scored in win against Police, could not get on the scoresheet, but he came close in the 92nd minute before his header went over the bar.
Norde said luck had deserted them
“We had possession, and came up with some beautiful plays but the moment we entered the attacking third, we were unlucky,” said the 34-year-old Haitian international.
“We had so many chances. When they scored, we tried to come back but it was too little too late. We will do lots of finishing drills to bounce back in the next game.”
They will play Perak at the Darulaman Stadium in Alor Setar on Friday.
Norde said he had adapted well with his new team.
“It was easier to adjust as I’ve played in Malaysia for quite a while now. I played for the sides like Melaka and Terengganu, so I knew what was needed to develop chemistry with the team,” he said.“It also feels great to wear the armband because all the players have accepted me. We are like one family.”
Meanwhile, Nafuzi said he was not going to press the panic button.
“As long as we are creating chances, that is good. If we are not, then there is a problem. I’m glad the boys are playing the game I want but yes, we will improve on our finishing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nafuzi added that Ghanaian striker Ebenezer Assifuah, who had just started training with the team for a week, will play against Perak.
